Engine silencer and smoke elimination system



June 17, 1969 c. c. MILEY ENGINE SILENCER AND SMdKE ELIMINATION SYSTEM Filed May 18, 1967 9 r 5 w m m cmf MVM wwm 5 5 C M. 5 0 5 dr w 5 c M o um 5 gm M WAm A P 4 4 3 M w M a W United States Patent O 3,449,907 ENGINE SILENCER AND SMOKE ELIMINATION SYSTEM Clare C. Miley, P.O. Box 13, Inyokern, Calif. 93527 Filed May 18, 1967, Ser. No. 639,458 Int. Cl. FOln ]/]2, 3/02 US. Cl. 60-31 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An engine silencer and smoke elimination system being adapted to be connected to a combustion source exhaust and having a plurality of relatively small diameter tubes connected to a manifold, whereby the exhaust is cooled as it passes through the tubes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Smoke is eliminated in the present invention by cooling the hot exhaust gases while they flow through a plurality of small tubes. It has been found that by attaching a plurality of small tubes to a pipe connected to an internal combustion engine, from which the muffler had been removed, that the gases were rapidly cooled within the small tubes so that their outer ends were cool to the touch. This arrangement further eliminated the discharge of smoke which had been passing out of the muffler. It was further noted that the exhaust pressure coming out of the individual tubes was hardly discernible. Consistent with the latter, the exhaust noise was almost entirely eliminated.

The invention, when used on compressed gases other than exhaust gases, effectively acts to reduce heat and silence noise.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved internal combustion engine silencer.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved smoke eliminator for combustion means.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a means and method for cooling exhaust gases resulting from combustion and for condensing the liquid out of such gases as they are cooled so as to reduce the amount of the gases and solids therein which will otherwise be distributed into the atmosphere.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the class described in which crankcase gases are directed into the exhaust manifold or exhaust passages of the engine where temperatures are high and where combustible gases will be burned.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may be brought out in the following part of the specification wherein small details have been described for the competence of disclosure, without intending to limit the scope of the invention which is set forth in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes:

3,449,907 Patented June 17, 1969 FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an internal combustion engine having the invention attached to the exhaust line therefrom;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken as indicated along the line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view'of a smoke stack, having an embodiment of the present invention thereon; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view, illustrating a portion of a liquid control means for the invention shown in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 1, there is shown an internal combustion engine, generally designated as 10, having an exhaust manifold 11 to which is connected an exhaust line 12. In the line 12, there is a check valve 13 which prohibits flow toward the engine.

Connected to the line 12, downstream of the check valve, is a line 16 having its other end 17 connected to the engine crankcase at a position above the oil level. In the line 16, there is a check valve 18 and a stop valve 19. The line 16 permits the discharge of oil vapor or other gases from the crankcase into the exhaust line 12. Downstream of the connection with the line 16 there is a stop valve 22 in the exhaust line 12.

Also connected to the line 12 adjacent the valve 22 is a liquid return line 23 and a drain line 24 having a stop valve 25.

At the outer end of the line 12, there is connected a pipe 28 into which the exhaust passes through an opening 29, shown in FIG. 2. The pipe 28 has a substantially larger cross-sectional area than the pipe 12 and is hexagonal in form for convenience. Through the bottom of the pipe 28, there is connected a drain line 30 having a stop valve 31. Secured in each of the sides of the pipe 28, other than the bottom, are a plurality of relatively small diameter tubes 34, the tubes being arranged along each face or side, as 35, in one or more rows extending longitudinally for a substantial portion of the sides length. At the outer end of the pipe 28, there is connected at smaller diameter line 36, having a normally closed stop valve 37.

Each of the tubes 34 is connected at its outer end to a second pipe 40 having the same approximate side and configuration as the pipe 38. The tubes 34 are connected in corresponding positions to both pipes. At the outer end of the pipe 40 is a discharge line 41, having an open end large enough so as to not create a back pressure. Extending downwardly from the pipe 40 is a drain line 42 having a normally closed stop valve 43.

The other end 46 of the liquid return line 23 is connected to the bottom of the pipe 40 to receive liquid collected in the pipe. Downwardly from the end 46 is a stop valve 47 and downstream thereof is an electrically operated pump 48, having a battery power source 49. Between the pump and the exhaust line 12, there is a stop valve 52. In FIG. 4, there is shown within the pipe 40 a float 53 having a lever arm 55, pivotally mounted at 54 on a wall of the pipe. At the outer end of the lever arm there is an electrical contact 58 having a lead wire 59 connected to the pump motor. The float 53 is raised a predetermined amount by a liquid level forming in the bottom of the pipe 40 and the electrical contact at 58 is correspondingly lowered to close the circuit with a contact 60 on a lead wire 61 so as to start the operation of the pump to transfer the liquid in the pipe 40 to the exhaust flowing through the line 12 and into the pipe 28.

In operation, the engine 10, which may be a gasoline internal combustion engine or a diesel, produces an exhaust through the line 12 and into the pipe 28. The exhaust enters the small tubes 34 after expansion of the gases in the pipe 28, and the increased surface made available by the relatively large number of tubes causes the exhaust gases to cool substantially so that when they enter the pipe 40 they are cool to the touch and a substantial amount of liquid in the gases has been condensed to be collected in the bottom of the pipe. The gas moves outwardly through the discharge line 41 at a very low pressure compared with that that comes out of a muifler tail pipe for the same engine.

When sufficient liquid is formed in the bottom of the pipe 40, the float raises and closes the circuit at 58, 60 to start the operation of the pump 48 to deliver the liquid back into the line 12 where the exhaust gases are hot. This liquid serves to further cool the exhaust and to tend to wash out the tubes and pipe as it flows therethrough. However, it has been found that the tubes do not tend to clog or become coated with a substantial amount of exhaust solid residue for at least the first five thousand miles when used on an automobile. It has also been found that where the above arrangement has been used on an old car, burning a substantial amount of oil and which had produced a substantial amount of the smoke through the muflier tail pipe, that no smoke was discharged through the line 41.

When the line 16 is open to the exhaust line 12, the gases from the crankcase are free to flow into the exhaust and if they do not flow freely as a result of the .suction created by the gases passing the connection of the two lines, a venturi can be installed or a small pump may be used.

If after substantial mileage, there is an excessive coat of carbon solids or other solids formed within the walls of the tubes 34, they may be flushed out after closing the valve 22 and attaching a hose to line 24, 30, 37 or 42 and operating the various stop valves to obtain the desired results. Typical solvents may be used to clean out the tubes.

The first experimental model made of the invention shown in FIG. 1 was comprised of a two inch exhaust line attached to a circular 2% inch diameter pipe, 24 inches long. The pipe was closed at its outer end and forty-five tubes, as 34, were connected into the sides of the pipe wall, the tubes being spaced longitudinally as shown. The tubes were copper for convenience and were approximately two feet long, having an internal diameter of about A of an inch. The outer ends of the tubes were free and had no pipe equivalent to the pipe 40 connected. This arrangement eliminated a smoke discharge from an old car which burned a considerable amount of oil and which had produced a substantial amount of smoke through its tail pipe when the normal mufller was attached. The arrangement substantially eliminated all noise in the exhaust, and to a greater extent than a muffler does. It was found that some liquid was condensed in the tubes and was discharged therefrom. The outer ends of the tubes were cool to the touch even when the engine was idling; that is, when air flow that is normally caused by the movement of the car was not available to blow over them for additional cooling. Cooling of the tubes was such that it was considered that it would not be necessary to use thin-walled tubes having radial fins extending therefrom. However, it is obvious that such tubes would be cooled even more than the ordinary generally cylindrical copper tubes used.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 3. There a smoke stack 65, adapted to receive combustion gases, has at its outer end an enlarged diameter portion 66 from which extends a circular radially directed flange 67. Secured to the flange 67 is a flange 70, having a plurality of openings, as 71, and in each of which is secured a vertically directed tube 72. Radially extending through the Wall of the enlarged diameter portion 66 area plurality of flange-covered cleanout openings 73. Thus, if any residue is deposited in the portion 66, it may be cleaned therefrom.

The tubes 72 function in the same way as the tubes 34 to cool the exhaust gases and to eliminate the discharge of smoke from the stack 65. The tubes 72 may be made in a number of pieces for ease of installation and for ease of cleaning, if necessary. The number of tubes required to cool the smoke gases for any particular installation may be determined experimentally.

It is considered that the invention described in the foregoing will substantially reduce the amounts of smoke and solids discharged from iauomobile exhaust and from smoke stacks. It is further considered that the formation of liquid by condensation, for example, from a gasoline engine exhaust, should prevent the discharge of .a substantial amount of hot vapors into the atmosphere, said vapors containing undesirable air contaminants. If an excessive amount of liquid is produced by condensation in the invention shown in FIG. 1, the liquid can be collected in a separate container attached to the pipe or container 40 and stored therein until filled at which time it may be drained. If the container 40 should become overly filled with the liquid, it would automatically drain through the discharge line 41.

The invention and its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof or sacrificing its material advantages, the arrangement hereinbefore described being merely by way of example.

I claim:

1. A smoke elim-intion system for a combustion means comprising:

(a) conduit means for receiving combustion residue, including a first pipe having one end adapted to be attached to an internal combustion engine exhaust, the other end of the pipe being normally closed;

(b) cooling means connected to said conduit means to permit cooling of said residue and the gases therein, including a plurality of individual tubes connected at one of their ends to said conduit means, and their other ends connected to a second pipe having one end normally closed, said tubes having smaller crosssectional areas than said conduit means, and said second pipe having a larger cross-sectional area than said tubes; and

(c) discharge means on said cooling means including a reduced discharge opening at the other end of said second pipe, positioned above its lowest part to permit the collection of liquid condensate therein.

2. The invention according to claim 1 including:

(a) a pump connected to said second pipe to pump liquid therefrom to a line connecting exhaust to the first pipe;

(b) means on the second pipe to actuate the pump when the liquid in the second pipe rises to a predetermined level.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,903,803 4/1933 Barker 6030 2,037,692 4/1936 Barr 60-30 3,032,968 5/1962 Novak 6030 3,209,532 10/1965 Morris 60-30 3,313,102 4/1967 Caddell 60-31 CARLTON R. CROYLE, Primary Examiner.

D. HART, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. XR. 603O 

